The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1887-12-23
miscellaneous.
Last Christmas at Our House.
BY ALICE NJ. GUERNSEY.

by ALICE VI. GUERNSEY.
OfCoursc, we had Christmas at our house
We always do. And we always mean to- so
long as we can say "our house'-so long as
there are any left to gather under the home
roof
The children were all there, seemingly as
happy as in childhood days, though children
now ofa larger growth. Carl-the baby-s
bearded man, who brought his golden.
haired bride to help in the holiday pleasure
and Margle is tall and stately teacher, but
she left her professional dignity safely locked
in the school-room desk. With her came
May, an orphan cousin, whom we all well
coined right gladly. The dear mother enjoy
ed the time rs well MS any of the children,
and even the grave father caught the nfec-
tious spirit of the hour and lnugh he'd with the
others, had his own secrets, and kept them
too.
For days before the twcnty-ffth there was
an atmosphere of mystery in our house ;
there were journeys down town." and re-
turning with sundry parcels not opened for
inspection people were hid away and could
not be found when wanted; there were
whispers and hurried hiding of ones handi-
work, wonderful looks of innocence, and a
strange lack OF curiosity. Each was in
honor bound to ask no questions and to open
no boxes or drawers save his very own.
But Christmas night came at last, and the
veil OF mystery was drawn aside. But how |?
That is just what am going 10 tell, and it
is only to tell that write at all
We had no conventional santa Claus,
snow.tiaked with ilecks of cotton, and leav.
ing his reindeer most provokingy at the top
OF an Imaginary chimney, while he emerged
from an improvised Fireplace; no capacious
hmm nd mr. l,a ,t,l TIT I;
apples crowded into their toes, and queer
packages showing at their tops no shapely
evergreen, bright with its tiny candles
dropped beneath the burden of our love tok-
ems. No, indeed We had new and Crgi-
nal Christmas The mother suggested il.
Lets have change" she said people
usually make grand display of their pres
ents. Why not hide ours, and have q hunt
for them"
"Just the thing said all.
And so ii Glanced that Christmas morn
ing found the school maam and the BRIDE
selI-constituted cOmmttee-in possession
OF the parlors, and fOrbidding entrance to
other members of the family under threats
OF direct pains and penalties.
After decorating the room with Christmas
greenery, they proceeded to dispose of the
treasures consigned to their charge. walls
N
books, and kindred furnishings wear other
than their usual mir when evening came and
the rest of the household were nebnrod into
the rarnished rooms, Armed with n search
warrant. issued in tho name of tho notron
saint of Christmas each was auibnr;znd and
urged to hunt for his own present with The
pruviso that anything he found which bore
another's name should he silently renloced
Now came the finn of The tbing Def,lv
indeed, had the committee done its work
Securely tied behind n window lombreonin
was the fathers new umbrella in n similar
POSITION Carl discovered the folding- leos or
n new chgss-tahlc but long soorch wno w.
ouircd 10 find its ion hidden undar a ,olIo-
scarf and niled Win hooks Ono Of tho
mothers silk wris,lets law smoo,hIv under q
rup-the other was mined IN thp bacl or
the l,urye The nl,nts IN tho how w;rd,u,
bore unwonted fri, and il was Some ,in,o
before Carts sharp ewes discovered n foot r.
which Ind bcen utilized no a nlant-stond ,,ro'
tenn Dainty chiun for the tahle VINO Conceal p,J
nd hy brio-o.hroc IN tho Tor, NJ ,l,a I,,,, 49,
shelves S,ranoe neighbprs wnra ~" s,n u"JN.
ninncd IN ono si,Io of n nint,rosoord i" T,no
emf. hutton marked "Mavn while tho on,o'
sitn side heIL s,ylogronh;c nan 0pp'
Conora,nIations and tbonk 9 G,,,owod oo,I,
diccoyorv ond oil toIxod on1 ian,,toI ~ -
grthrr nr,ing on the search On ,nn~ "s .nv
tI,inr remaincd nnfnnnd 80 ""'